North DeKalb Mall Community Garden,

Farm Type:
Farmer

Farming Practices:
Sustainable

About Us / North DeKalb Mall Community Garden History:

The North DeKalb Mall Community Garden is an urban farm created by North DeKalb Mall on mall property in 2012, to make idle land productive and for refugee empowerment through agriculture, and the general benefit of the surrounding community. The framework and garden leaders have worked to ensure that our refugee and community farmers continue working toward increased productivity and produce sales as a sustainable urban garden; and also to allow for shared ideas and cultural diversity among the participating farmers. Our partners and leadership board will play a significant role in furthering education on farming and marketing/sales of the finished products, as well as securing resources donated from other local businesses and community groups to further the efficiency and productivity of the garden.The resulting increase in traffic to the mall property and linking the mall to the community through this beautiful amenity being offered is also a goal as the mall emerges as a meaningful location, with a real sense of place, in the community. The plantings for 2013 thus far include all of 2012 crops (eggplant, tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, peppers, okra, bush beans, French marigolds, African marigolds, sunflowers, zinnias, mustard, watermelon, cantaloupe, basil and others) plus varieties of kale, Swiss chard, butter crunch lettuce, watercress, Mung beans, pole bean varieties, southern peas, tomatillos, collard greens, radish varieties, carrots, broccoli, onions, lavender, mint, chocolate mint, parsley, cilantro, chives, cone flowers, peonies, gardenias, coreopsis, larkspur, linaria and more. The Keep DeKalb Beautiful program participated in providing compost and mulch to the garden. The Atlanta Community Food bank helped provide many of the seeds used, and the Global Grower??¯??¿??½?ï¿½???¢ï¿½???¯ï¿½???¿ï¿½???½?ï¿½???¯ï¿½???¿ï¿½???½?s Network has also been involved in the planning and coordination of this effort and in bringing the produce to market. North DeKalb Mall and International Rescue Committee (IRC) are the primary contacts for soliciting other interested parties (neighborhoods, churches, groups of friends, etc.) to participate in the garden by having their own plots, participating as volunteers, helping new gardeners, and to be part of the garden community and it??¯??¿??½?ï¿½???¢ï¿½???¯ï¿½???¿ï¿½???½?ï¿½???¯ï¿½???¿ï¿½???½?s programs. Our neighbor Stivers Subaru was our first Sponsor by generously donating a tool shed for the garden; we are currently talking with the neighboring Little Creek Horse Farm about a manure supply partnership to support the North DeKalb Mall-Community Garden. Please visit the Mall website, www.northdekalbmall.com for information, or contact the Mall Management Office or International Rescue Committee (IRC) for more information on how to get involved and/or schedule a meeting or volunteer outing. Mall Management Office phone (404) 320-7960 or IRC??¯??¿??½?ï¿½???¢ï¿½???¯ï¿½???¿ï¿½???½?ï¿½???¯ï¿½???¿ï¿½???½?s Amber Mull / Larissa Sanford, phone (678) 636-8943.We would love to see you in the garden in 2013!